Thomas ("Tommy") John Goodman

Thomas (“Tommy”) John Goodman passed away unexpectedly Monday, June 24, 2019. Somehow, he managed to do so with his hair still looking good.

Tommy John was born in Ames on April 26, 1967, to Tom and Connie Goodman. He was an exceptional athlete, earning two first team Iowa All State basketball honors, leading all classes in scoring his senior year, and being named to the Iowa Boys Basketball Hall of Fame and later to the Des Moines Register’s list of the 50 best Iowa high school boys' basketball stars of all time. All while standing at just 5’10”... in his sneakers.

Tommy earned a basketball scholarship and played for William Jewell College, in Kansas City. Upon graduation, he lived in Colorado before meeting and marrying his perfect match, Heidi Smith, and moving to Altoona. Together they had three sons, Tate, Quinn, and Bode.

Tommy’s talents in basketball were exceeded only by his love and devotion to his wife and sons. He spent countless hours with his boys, attending activities, coaching, swimming in the backyard pool, playing catch, and hounding them to do their chores. He was exceedingly proud of them.

They are left with many wonderful memories of their father, including skiing trips to Colorado, last minute tickets to the Final Four, a road trip to the Rose Bowl, routine outings to Adventureland, the Iowa State Fair, and Dave & Buster’s, and hosting many family gatherings at their home—typically sporting a bucket cap and ample sunblock along the way.

He lived with a contagious humor and joy, which he shared with all. His good nature won him many friends over the years and enabled him to establish a successful career in sales, winning multiple national sales awards.

He was also known for sharing life’s wisdom through apt 80s movie quotes. So his success in life as an athlete, husband, father, and friend might be summarized by this one from Caddyshack: “There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.”

Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife Heidi Goodman and sons Tate, Quinn, and Bode, parents Tom and Connie Goodman, brother Jay Goodman, uncle Terry Goodman of Utah, aunt Gloria (Tom) Holmquist of Texas, parents-in-law Frank and Becky Smith of Pleasant Hill, sisters-in-law Melany Shaw of Altoona and Mary (Jason) Owens of Runnells, brothers-in-law Benjamin (Amy) Smith of Wisconsin, Tyler (Noel) Smith of Pleasant Hill, and Jessman (Anne) Smith of Pleasant Hill, and many adoring nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held in Tommy’s honor at the Copper Creek Golf Course Clubhouse, 4825 Copper Creek Dr, Pleasant Hill, IA on Saturday, June 29, from 5-10 p.m., with a program and words of remembrance at 7 p.m. Casual attire.

Print